Predictions

Best Film Ensemble

[PHOTOS] ‘The Voice’: All 12 Adam Levine team members ranked from top to bottom

Pop vocalist Adam Levine from Maroon 5 has been a key reason for the success of “The Voice” for all 10 previous seasons. He has been the winning coach three times (seasons 1, 5 and 9) in battling rival mentor Blake Shelton. He now also faces off against rookie coaches Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys for the 11th season currently airing on NBC.

Here are my rankings of the dozen members of Team Adam from top to bottom. Vote in our poll below and tell us who you think is the best artist. And be sure to tour our photo gallery of all 12 performers above. Our other featured photo gallery contains all “The Voice” past winners from the first 10 seasons.

1. Billy Gilman (from Richmond, RI)
It is impossible to measure how valuable experience can be in a competition like this, but certainly nobody has more than this former child star of country music. Determined to head in a new musical direction, Gilman delivered a soaring rendition of “When We Were Young” that would have surely garnered votes by the millions had it been delivered on a live show. With an already recognizable name, the rooting factor for him to reclaim his stardom, and most importantly an incredible voice, Gilman is surely Adam’s best chance to win his fourth title.

2. Nolan Neal (from Los Angeles, CA)
Everything about this guy absolutely screams “Winner of The Voice”. He’s the comeback story of the season – earning a four-chair turn after failing to impress even one coach last season. He has a likable personality and the type of voice that can transcend genres – meaning mass appeal to a diverse audience at home. Adam said to Neal, “You’re going to be the first guy who went home last season and who won this season.” And he may be right.

3. Brendan Fletcher (from Brooklyn, NY)
Fletcher has one of my favorite voices this season. Unfortunately he has zero stage presence which makes him easy to forget. If Adam can bring him out of his shell and he somehow survives the battle and knockout rounds, he will definitely be one to watch.

4. Riley Elmore (from W. Dundee, IL)
Anytime a Sinatra-style crooner appears on a singing competition, they immediately stand out from the crowd. Add to that the fact that he is a charming 16-year old, and you’re left with a contestant viewers can’t wait to vote for. Adam is a competitor who is perfectly willing to toss out a superior vocalist for someone he thinks will get more votes – so I have a hard time believing he will drop Elmore unless he’s completely confident in the rest of his team.

5. Andrew DeMuro (from Chicago, IL)
What DeMuro has over many of his competitors on Team Adam is simply the confidence to let loose on stage. He’s a likable performer with a good, yet forgettable voice. It will be interesting to see if his personality will be able to outshine what I consider better singers on his team.

6. Ponciano Seoane (from San Antonio, TX)
Seoane was Adam’s final pick and although he lacks stage presence, he makes up for it with a naturally rich, gravely tone. The texture of his voice will likely make for quality recordings, but the key for him will be translating that to a stage performance that connects with the audience. If he can put all the pieces together, he may go pretty far.

7. Elia Esparza (from San Antonio, TX)
To me Esparza is a total wildcard at this point. Her performance was completely in Spanish and so stylized that it was difficult to imagine how she might sound singing an English pop song. What was very apparent is that she has a crystal-clear tone, a decent range and a ton of potential. I see her as a potential secret weapon on Team Adam and look forward to her next performance.

8. Bindi Liebowitz (from Plainfield, NJ)
There’s something about Liebowitz that makes me think we haven’t seen all she is capable of. Her performance of “Bust Your Windows” was restrained, yet fun and gritty enough to convince both Adam and Blake to turn their chairs. She has a great personality and style that I could see evolving in a very entertaining way throughout the season.

9. Johnny Rez (from Miami, FL)
After giving a solid rendition of the Goo Goo Doll’s song “Iris”, it seemed like a no-brainer this pop-rocker would end up with Adam (although he got a chair turn from Blake as well). He has a young, current sound but isn’t in full control of his range. I wasn’t blown away by his voice, but he has a certain look and sound that could translate well to an audience if he chooses the right songs.

10. Simone Gundy (from Fort Worth, TX)
This soulful singer impressed both Adam and Miley with her stirring rendition of “I Who Have Nothing”. Although I found her extremely likable and can appreciate her stage presence, I wasn’t as shocked as Adam that neither Blake nor Alicia turned their chair. There were many off-key moments throughout the performance. And with so many other big-voiced singers this season, I would be surprised to see her advance to the live shows.

11. Natasha Bure (from Los Angeles, CA)
There was a lot of pressure on this 17-year old, who is the daughter of “Fuller House” star and “The View” co-host Candace Cameron Bure. Not surprisingly, her audition was widely publicized in the media which can’t be easy for a young artist just trying to find her way like everyone else. The nerves clearly got the better of her as even her coach said, “The second my chair turned around you had a little bit of a nervous breakdown.” Her voice has a pretty tone, but after such a tough critique right off the bat, it seems as if she’s in for an uphill battle.

12. JSoul (from Virginia Beach, VA)
It is difficult to gauge the true potential of JSoul because only a snippet of his blind audition was shown. From what we were able to hear, his voice sounds smooth and soulful. But considering he received the least amount of airtime on Team Adam, his time may be limited.